


The fine art of denial

by LittlePsycho15



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AtsuHina Week 2020, Bokuto ships atsuhina more than we do, Bokuto&Sakusa chaotic duo, Dorks in Love, M/M, Pining Atsumu, Pining Hinata
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24622309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittlePsycho15/pseuds/LittlePsycho15
Summary: Atsuhina week day 3: mutual pining«Hinata is the more stern one. Miya always had that annoying expression, of course no one would tell he’s in love.»Sakusa went from not caring at all about them to the absolute certainty that if he had to witness for five more minutes Atsumu Miya’s horrid courtship ritual he would have died. He didn’t care about them. He cared about himself.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Comments: 4
Kudos: 122





	The fine art of denial

  * **can’t see** ****



Bokuto glanced doubtfully at Atsumu and Hinata, closing his golden eye, rubbing his chin. He sighed heavily, without worrying about being annoying. He was about to make an important choice, after all: he needed good observation skills, a good relationship with the subjects, a lot of luck, and the right amount of coincidences to be sure everything would come together...

«Are we waiting for a planets alignment too?» the captain muttered, showing him the money, right under his nose.

«Is it a yes or a no?»

The scenery, lightened by the warm afternoon sun, could certainly be used as a book cover for one of those romantic drama that Bokuto certainly would never read. (Kind of. Unless it was also about volleyball…)

According to Sakusa, Atsumu lost is last bit of  _ decency _ , getting googly eyes for the newbie and smiling at him like he just couldn’t help it. Hinata, on the other hand, was always around him, just like a bee searching for honey, jumping around him and asking tons of questions. (Sobbing, Bokuto remembered with nostalgia the old good times when Shouyou was all over him, buying the same t-shirt he had.)

Anyway, dear, old, boring Omi-kun complained they would make his teeth rot, and Bokuto was more than just dure they were meant for each other and all that romance definitely placed him in a good mood.

His attention went back to Meian-san, and Bokuto took out his wallet to get the money. He nodded, giving him a confident smile.

«The drinks will be on me once I win, captain.»

«For how long do you think they have been dating?» Meian asked him, hinting at them with his head.

Bokuto laughed, moving his hand as to dissipate the captain’s doubt. For at least two months, I’ve taught many thing to my disciple», he said, prideful. «You just lost, Meian-san. You should have played your aces better.»

Later that day in the locker room, one the moment of truth finally came, Bokuto couldn’t hide his excitement. He was humming, smiling, nudging Sakusa, sticking his tongue out to the captain. He was sure he was right. What did he once tell Hinata? To always chose tall, scary setters ‒ just like Akaashi (and Akaashi was also handsome, and cool, and those new glasses suited him so much…). Surely Hinata wouldn’t disappoint him. 

«So…» Inunaki started, tossing his sweaty shirt in his bag, staring at the two of them, unsure on what to say.

«… Miya-kun, Hinata-kun, do you have something to tell us?», he asked, deeply embarrassed, glancing at Barnes who could burst laughing any second now.

Bokuto tensed. The captain was keeping himself together, laying on the wall. Sakusa yawned, wondering when that circus would finally leave town.

Hinata frowned, confused ‒ Bokuto could swear it was just  _ that moment of realization a fear of the truth being uncovered _ ‒ and turned ‒  _ ah, guilty!  _ ‒ to Atsumu, looking for an answer.

«We won’t judge, eh», Barnes specified, choking on his giggles.

More silence. More confused glances. More loud yawns from Sakusa.

Bokuto’s confidence trembled and he pouted, just as the captain’s smile was widening. If that was a western film, you would see hay bales rolling across the room. (Bokuto could picture himself with cowboy hat covering his face and a gun pointed to Meian-san, waiting for a chance to shot. As seconds went by, though, he was sure he would be the one getting shot.)

«Nothing then.» Meian said, looking at Bokuto like he was some sort of bug, ready to get the money out of the little bag in Inunaki’s hands.

They were embarrassed, he was ready to swear. That blush on Shouyou’s cheeks? Absolutely suspicious. And Atsumu’s heavy breathing? And those glances they exchange?

Bokuto frantically analysed the past months, sure he wasn’t making things up. There were smiles, complicity, intimacy, Atsumu’s annoyed look getting softer for Hinata.

«You two are together aren’t you?», he shouted. They could not avoid such a direct question. Not at all. Then again, what was better than a relationship between teammates? The perfect way to build a solid bond and synchronization during a game.  _ Wonderful. _

«No» Atsumu said deadpan, as Hinata was shaking his head.

_ What? _

«But- but...», Bokuto stuttered, opening his arms and pointing at them. How was he supposed to believe that? And what about their bedroom eyes? Atsumu playing favourites? The way they took advantage of every possible moment just to high five and hug each other?

This wasn’t about that bet anymore. Oh, no. This wasn’t even about Meian-san petty smirk. (More or less). This was about principles. 

His lips thinned as he leaned over Sakusa to whisper something, a determined look in his eyes. When Sakusa stepped away, vaguely disgusted, he couldn’t speak out loud, but his message was still delivered.

«We have to do something about this.»

***

_ Bokuto put a hand on Hinata’s shoulder, forcing him to turn around. Before he could say anything, Bokuto asked: «Did you forget what I told you?!  _ Get yourself a tall, scary setter.»,  _ he whispered, outraged. _

_ Hinata’s face became the same, bright color of his hair, and he tried to avoid his eyes, staring stubbornly at the floor. (The only reason he didn’t have that reaction before was just the surprise effect). _

_ Bokuto continued, in a determined voice: «He does extra train  _ with you _ whenever you ask him, he’s kind ‒ just  _ with you _ since the rest of us get nothing but snarky remarks ‒ he always waits for  _ you  _ to leave the locker room. And he’s pretty. What’s the matter?» he sighed, pinching his nose. «He’s  _ perfect! _ » _

_ «As if I didn’t know that!», Hinata answered annoyed, immediately covering his mouth in surprise. He looked around to be sure nobody else was there, to hear him whisper and see him blushing like that. _

_ Once Bokuto glanced at him, exasperated, Hinata added: « _ I _ am the problem!» _

_ He pouted, staring at his feet. «He just doesn’t like me that way.» _

_ Now, Bokuto knew he wasn’t the brightest of the bunch ‒ man, he knew he wasn’t even a little smart to begin with ‒ but his silliness had a limit. Hinata’s apparently hadn’t. _

  * **can’t hear**



«Nice one!», Atsumu complimented, ruffling Hinata’s hair. At that distance, Bokuto could only guess how much their eyes could shine.

« _ Nice one? _ » he asked Sakusa ironically, as they were properly stretching. Sakusa didn’t really wanted to play cupid with him ( _ Boooring _ ). «Atsumu never says  _ nice one _ . It’s always a  _ nice toss _ with of course you spiked perfectly because of him.»

«Pathetic», Sakusa agreed, mostly because he wanted to insult Atsumu and not really because he wanted to indulge Bokuto and whatever was going on in his empty head.

Bokuto kept staring at them, thinking. «Hinata likes him», he informed Sakusa ‒ who didn’t want to be informed, thank you very much ‒ «and if only he was a little more confident he would realize Atsumu likes him too!»

Bokuto wasn’t worried about the bet, that was already lost. Though he had to admit that getting them together, even just to see Meian-san shocked face, was quite appealing. Unfortunately, his only love experience was with Akaashi ‒ who actually had to do everything by himself ‒ so he had no idea how to make the  _ boom _ happen. Or the  _ doki doki _ . Maybe a  _ whoo  _ with a  _ sbam  _ was for the better.

«Hinata is the more stern one. Miya always had that annoying expression, of course no one would tell he’s in love.»

Sakusa went from not caring at all about them to the absolute certainty that if he had to witness for five more minutes Atsumu Miya’s horrid courtship ritual he would have died. He didn’t care about them. He cared about himself.

«Sure, but…», Bokuto uselessly tried to justify Atsumu.

«Atsumu-san, do you want a water bottle?»

«Look how considerate Hinata is», Sakusa commented, pointing at their number 21 jumping around the gym to deliver the said water bottle.

«And Atsumu is touching his hair!», Bokuto replayed, also shamelessly pointing at the two of them.

To be fair, their setter was ruffling Hinata’s red hair for the ninth time since the beginning of practice. Actually, he wasn’t just ruffling his hair, he was…  _ brushing _ them?

Atsumu hand then reached his cheek, lingering there. Just as he was walking behind them, Inunaki stopped and held his breath, widening his eyes. Bokuto’s arm was still midair, his mouth opened in shock. Sakusa tried to look detached. 

«Are they going to…?», Barned asked them, still waiting to bump the ball, not moving a single muscle.

_Of course_ they were going to. That could be nothing else. it would be more appropriate to do such thing in a more private and less crowded place, but Sakusa knew Atsumu liked to be in the spotlight. ( _Egocentric._ _Attention-seeker. Stage animal. No, wait, just an animal. Megalomaniac-)_

Sakusa’s list could still be going, if Atsumu hadn’t pronuonced the  _ words. _

«Thanks a lot, Shoucchan.»

_ «Thanks a lot?!»  _ Bokuto repeated upset, looking around as if he never stepped in the gym before.

_ «Shoucchan?» _ , Sakusa asked, pretending to be about to throw up.

«What about the kiss?», Inunaki growled. «Where’s the fucking kiss?»

Bokuto had no idea. Gone. It was never there. Lost in Atsumu’s hazed and twisted mind ‒ why did they have to deal with the foolish twin? Miya-san would never do such a thing.

They should search for the kiss around the whole prefecture. Was that  _ thanks a lot  _ really necessary?  _ Thanks a lot _ , Hinata-kun, for your love and affection! Here, have an almost-kiss.

«At least he said  _ Shoucchan _ », Bokuto said to comfort himself, looking hopeful at Sakusa and Inunaki. «He could have said it later», Sakusa told him merciless.

«Maybe he’s not sure his feelings are requieted.», Inunaki suggested, much calmer than them. Although it looked like he was trying to comfort himself as well.

They started the training right where they left it.

Whenever Hinata complimented him (“ _ Nice serve!” “Your tosses are perfect!” “You’re in great shape today, Atsumu-san” _ ), Atsumu smiled and highed five with him.

Bokuto though could read the disappointment in Hinata’s brown eyes. He would really much like to complain. After every compliment Barnes sighed, a little louder each time.

Inunaki too sounded disappointed, because at a certain point he bumped his receive right onto Atsumu’s grin. 

(Sakusa would be willing to stain his hands with blood, if only that blood would drip from Atsumu’s nose. What a stupid, ungrateful peacock).

***

«’Tsum ‘Tsum»,  _ Bokuto called him, right before he left the locker room, cornering him the same way he did for Hinata. If when he was talking to Hinata he looked like a drug dealer, now he was a detective during an interrogation. Poor Atsumu, there was no good cop. Both him and Sakusa were the bad cop. _

_ «What was that pathetic attempt during training?», Sakusa asked, staring at him like he was a nuisance.  _

_ Atsumu raised an eyebrow, keeping his best annoyed expression. «Mind your business.» _

_ «Actually, this is our business. As a team.», Sakusa replied, while Bokuto was nodding. «Hinata was quite hurt from your inability with human relationship. This might throw off our team balance.» _

_ Atsumu deflated like a popped balloon. «Did he really?» _

_ Bokuto widened his eyes, turning around to look at Sakusa and then back at Atsumu, opening and closing his mouth. «I know, I know» Sakusa said, shutting his eyes and massaging his temples. « _ how lame. _ » _

_ «So you tried to kiss him!» Bokuto barked «And then you chickened out like- like...» _

_ «Like a spineless gay chicken» Sakusa suggested. _

_ «Yes, that! He was so sure!» _

_ (Bokuto had to be careful not to turn that “he was” into a more truthful “we were”. That could become embarrassing.) _

_ «I shouldn’t have done that» Atsumu confessed, defeated. «Should have thought about his feelings too.» _

_ «Stop right there», Sakusa ordered him, his face a grimace. «You think Hinata doesn’t have feelings for you?» _

_ «Kageyama, you know?», he muttered, «…their relationship is  _ different _. He doesn’t act the same with me.»  _

_ «And you wish it was the same?» Bokuto tilted his head, trying to make that claim make sense looking at it from a different direction. _

_ Atsumu huffed and scraped his neck, trying not to look as uncomfortable and vulnerable as he was. He stared at Bokuto, carefully avoiding Sakusa’s face ‒ last thing he wanted was to be made fun of. «I’m not the guy he wants.» _

_ Bokuto stayed quiet for a couple of second, unsure on what to say.  _

_ «Then change!» he shout desperate. That whole matter would end soon. Sakusa glanced at him worried, but he didn’t care. «If you think he wants someone else, then became someone else.»  _

  * **can’t speak**



«You did it.», Sakusa whispered surprised the day after. «You took two hopeless case and you fixed them!» 

To be honest, Sakusa wasn’t much far from the truth.

The gym was always very spacious, with a deep blue floor and a tall ceiling, with big windows were the morning sun was timidly showing up. It was never quiet, of course it wasn’t ‒ bumping balls, coach screaming warning, and so on. And since Hinata joined the team, all the noise just multiplied.

_ «They did it?» _ , Barnes asked conspiratory, tying his shoes.

«They did it.», Inunaki answered, showing no doubt.

_ I wish _ , Bokuto thought.

Suddendly, the gym turned silent and empty, much for Sakusa’s joy. Quiet and safe, with no risk to run to the hospital because of his teammate.

Atsumu tossed and Hinata jumped and spiked with no trouble, smashing the ball into the other side of the court. He was about to smile, but then he just nodded and went back to his position.

Right, left, right, jump. Right, left, right, jump. Again and again, staring at his teammates behind the net. Every now and then he glanced at Atsumu, pretending to look at something else in his direction.

Atsumu instead for staring at him all the time, sometimes he tried to speak, unsure, then he lowered his arm and stayed quiet, frowning.

«Maybe it didn’t work», Barnes deduced, shaking his head. 

«That is so not the problem.», Sakusa replied, gloomy. Was that supposed to be Atsumu’s rendition of Kageyama? Just that pouty and annoyed face?  _ Really? _ He just looked like a giant baby, so that wasn’t much of a change for him.

«Then what is it?», Bokuto asked, frustrated.

«Atsumu is trying to be like Kageyama», he answered, tired. «I never thought I’d see the day when Atsumu Miya finally understood his personality was completely wack.» Sakusa looked at him and then added: «And his face, his face his wack too.» 

«I don’t see him barking nor fighting with Hinata.» Bokuto said. «Not even calling him stupid. He just seem cold.» 

«He doesn’t know how to do it. One can’t just change his whole personality and expect others to find it normal.» Sakusa glanced malevolent at Bokuto. «Your advice was wack as well. And Hinata of course doesn’t know what’s going on, so maybe he think there was something wrong with their almost-kiss yesterday so he just keeps quiet.» 

Boluto whistled in admiration. «Not bad at all, Omi-kun. You could be a psychologist, like… you know that guy…  _ Frodo? _ » 

Sakusa wasn’t strong enough nor to complain about that awful nickname, nor to explain him the person he was actually referring to was  _ Freud. _

That’s why he went to college, to feel smart while his teammates were drowning in their ignorance.

***

_Bokuto was leaning on the wall in front of the locker room, alongside Sakusa, who was keeping himself distant ‒ from the wall, from Bokuto, from the locker room filled with sweaty men, from_ everything _‒_ _waiting for his preys to come any seconds now._

_ He would have fixed it, after three day of a rough siege. His dignity was put at risk. _

_ «Nope, you two go straight at home.» _

_ Captain's voice reached them before him, unwilling to hear any complains. _

_ «But, Meian-san...»  _

_ «You’ve already done enough.», he huffed, just like a mother with troublemaker kids. He pulled Bokuto by the hood of his jumper and pointed the exit door to Sakusa. _

  * **_maybe_**



Atsumu spied outside the locker room. Appartently, Bokuto finally gave up trying to talk him into confessing his feelings for Hinata. Thank goodness. He felt relieved. To corner him like he did yesterday! Involving Omi-kun too!

There was still another problem though, one he yet had to solve, right behind his shoulder. Should he run for his life? Runaway and threw himself in his car hoping Bokuto and Sakusa didn’t hide in the parking lot?

Sakusa said he was spineless, and he wasn’t exactly wrong. With Hinata’s presence right behind him, he felt like he was melting, with jelly in place of his bones. He blushed and pinched his arm to put himself together.

He had to speak to say what?  _ Sorry if I’m not the guy you want? _ How lame could he possibly be? Hinata admired him like any kouhai would admired his senpai, not in the same angry and jealous way he admired Tobio-kun.

There was nothing to do. Gameover. Better leave with what was left of his dignity.

Shouyou was wasting his time with the zip of his bag, pretending there was some problem, just to get the chance to talk to Atsumu. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be completely transparent about his feeling ‒ what was the point? ‒ but yesterday he lost five years of lifespan when he felt his hand on his cheek, then on his neck, sure that Atsumu would have kissed him in the middle of the gym, still a water bottle in his other hand, right in front of their teammates.  _ He’s perfect _ , Bokuto-san said, and Hinata believed it, because of course he was already thinking that.

He at least wanted to know why he stopped and why he wasn’t talking to him. No, he had the right to know. Yup.

«Atsumu-san», he called with a small voice, even if they were the only ones left in the gym. Hearing his name, Atsumu tensed, but didn’t answer. He didn’t even turn, he just stared at the open door like it was his last escaping chance.

«Atsumu-san», he tried again, his voice louder. He was irritated. Atsumu never acted like this, never ignored him, never made him feel so powerless. He marched towards him, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to face him. Staring at his unbothered expression, Hinata repeated:  _ «Atsumu-san.»  _

Hinata reduced his eyes to two shiny, bright pins. He tightened his grip on Atsumu’s shoulder, because he felt like he would run away at any given chance.

Atsumu digged his nails into his hands, still not looking at him. He bit his lips, so there suddenly was a flush on his oddly pale face. He fixed his hair, swinging from one foot to the other.

«We need to talk.», Hinata said, imperative, even more irritated by his obstinate silence.

_ No _ , Atsumu begged in the back of his mind,  _ please  _ no. This wasn’t his usual way of acting: he was confident, sure of himself, cheeky, he was good at everything he did, he always had a wit comeback. But he just turned into a blob of unsaid words and terrible choices, as soon as he realized no matter what he did, he couldn’t change the reality of Hinata’s feelings.

And then Bokuto said he could  _ change _ ‒ though Atsumu wished Hinta like him for him, not for a fading copy of his past setter.

Atsumu took a deep breath and said: «Bokkun...» 

«Bokuto-san...» 

They spoke at the same time and Atsumu huffed, amused, raising his hand to ruffle his hair. It had been six months since Hinata made his way into his life, yet certain habits were hard to kill.

He didn’t want to talk, nor he wanted to hear whatever Hinata had to say, because for sure it wouldn’t be what he wanted to hear. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to know what Bokuto told him. He just wanted to go home, to make his coward self crawl to his bed and complain on the phone with ‘Samu.

Shouyou didn’t say anything as well ‒ since every coherent thought of his ended dangerously close to “you’re perfect” and all the nonsense Bokuto planted in hid head ‒ so he decided to start all over. With quite the legitimate question, which for once would not embarrass him.

«Why did you almost kiss me?»

That was exactly what Atsumu wanted to avoid. He should have known better then to act such recklessly ‒ but no matter how much he thought about it, there was nothing during that moment that could have led him to stop.  _ Then he stopped anyway. _

«Because I wanted to.» 

«Then why did you stop?» 

«Because I wasn’t sure that was what you wanted.» 

Atsumu felt Hinata’s breath, warm against his neck, and wondered when he got so close.

«So you want it and I want it.» 

«So it seems...», Atsumu replied, realizing what he said one second later.  _ «Wait, what-»  _

Hinata got on his toes, grabbing his jacket, smashing their lips together. Atsumu lowered his head to make the kiss more comfortable, freely brushing his soft hair. It was wonderful to do that without worrying on how much he was lingering, whether it was too much or too weird, whether he could ever do that and don’t be just friendly.

Shouyou shyly caressed his lips with his tongue, as he was asking for permission, getting an eager response from Atsumu. He sucked his lower lip and felt the smooth inside of his cheeks, and the sharpness of his teeth. Hinata whined when he felt Atsumu’s hands sneaking under his shirt, stroking his back, making him shiver.

They parted, breathless. Atsumu had dilated pupils and blushing cheek. Hinata had disheveled hair and bright eyes. They giggled.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoyed this one! I laughed my ass off writing a tired Sakusa and a fanboy Bokuto trying to put Atdumu and Hinata in a relationship. I think the last part was more romantic than the other parts of the fic, but yu guys can forgive me, right? I'll see you on the day 5!


End file.
